Super Mario Bros: ORIGINS
by AsdButTrue
Summary: More info inside. I feed myself with reviews, bad or good ones, so please feed the writer! CHAPTER 5 up! If you like it, then I'll post the sixth.
1. Prologue

**SUPER MARIO BROTHERsS**

**The origins**

_Writer's note:_

The first time I saw "Mario Bros, the movie" I was a little 8 years old kiddo (it was about 1995). That time I liked it, and so two days ago I decided to watch it again. You knwo what? I almost cried. I asked myself: "Did the director play Super Mario's games over and over again as I (and a million fans) did before doing such a movie?". Well, obviousely he didn't. Luigi in love with Princess (Daisy?) Peach... AND with no mustache? (Personally I really disliked such a choice) Bowser as a human (better, an evoluted dinosaur)? Daniela, Mario's girlfriend? What about the Goombas? And WHERE are the fireballs?

How could he totally ignore Mario's story?

Then I thought... Actually Mario has no story! I mean, there has never been ANY reference in any game about Mario's story and origin as a "character", not even in Mario's rpg games.  
Who's Mario? Why is he "super"? How can he blow fire from his hands, and jump as high as he can? And what material is his head composed by? Lead? Iron? Or maybe in the mushroom kingdom they build "everything" with papier-mache? Maybe his hat is the key to this mistery.  
Moreover, why in a place like mushroom kingdom, where every inhabitant look like a mushroom, the princess is a usual, human girl? And why Bowser keeps on kidnapping her over and over? Hobby?  
Of course, I'm not pretending to consider Mario as a real man... He's a fictional character, ok, but still he's one of the most famous videogame character of all times. I read a poll which stated that he's even more popular than Solid Snake, and we don't know anything about him and his world!  
The only thing we can guess, is that he likes eating, especially mushrooms (and maybe Pizza or spaghetti, who knows) otherwise he wouldn't be... let'say... that "corpulent".

So, after all that I've said here, what I mean is that this fiction wants to tell Mario's unknown origins. Or at least, my version of them. I swear I'll try to tell them better than that movie did. And, of course, my first goal is to amuse everyone who will read this story of mine.  
It will be the unofficial story of Super Mario and his brother Luigi, Princess Peach and Bowser, the story of their war and its conclusion, as I would like it to be.  
I hope you'll like it too.

Francesco.

**Prologue**

Toadberry, known also as "the ancient", was 450 years old. He lived alone in a little hut on a hill, far from the city. How could he have lived for such a long time was the biggest mistery of all Mushroom kingdom. Somebody said that he was a mage. Somebody else said that he ate the Allmighty Life Mushroom when he was young, and it granted him immortality. Everyone knew where he lived, and everybody remembered he had always been there, on that hill, and never moved from there. Everyone knew him, and a lot of them had talked to him when they were little, because he never rejected visitors, and he loved especially children. He loved telling stories, and peolpe said he was a great story teller indeed.

Tommy lived in a little village near Toadberry's hill. He could see his silouhette every night from the window of his bedroom, before going to sleep. A lonely shadow sitting on his chair, under the moonlight. Singing an haunting melody with his calm, deep voice...

_"This is the tale _

_of two brothers _

_from a far far land..."_

Once, Tommy asked his dad:  
"Daddy, why the old man on the hill keeps on singing the same song night after night?"  
"Who knows, Tommy... why don't you go and ask him?"  
His dad smiled. He always told Tommy not to talk with strangers... But it seemed that he was encouraging him to talk with that man. Why?  
But he wouldn't go. The old man on the hill was scary. And Tommy was a very sissy boy. He didn't care about misteries, he didn't like the adventures, he was - like every inhabitant of the Mushroom kingdom - totally happy with his life.

One day, on his way back from the school, two little kids approached him, and one of them was very very big.  
"Hi, louse" the bigger one said.  
"Yep, Hi, you louse!" echoed the smaller boy.  
Tommy shily replaid "Hi", and tried to pass over them. But they stood on his way.  
"What do you have in that bag?"  
"Humm... Books"  
"Anything to eat?"  
"No... Only books"  
"Let me check"  
The bigger kid took Tommy's bag and opened it, making its contents fall on the ground, while the smaller one was laughing like a hyena of the Red Mushroom Desert. Between the books there was a little mushroom, which was obviousely Tommy's afternoon snack.  
"Ah, so you DID have something to eat in the bag... You wanted it all for you, ain't you?"  
"It's..." tommy tried to say, falterig, "It's just a small mushroom... It's enough for only one kid"  
"And wouldn't you give it to your ol' pal Eanie?"  
"I..."  
"Pfui, what kind of friend are you, Tommy?"  
"A bad friend!" answered the little "hyena" fellow.  
"But I..."  
"I'm very disappointed by you, Tommy" said Eanie right before eating the mushroom. "I've nothing else to tell you. Come, Buck, let's leave him alone".  
Eanie left, and Buck right after him.  
Tommy remained alone in the street, staring his books on the ground. He didn't say a thing but then began sobbing.  
A voice suddenly bringed him back to earth.  
"Why do you let them treat you like that?"  
When tommy turned his head, he saw an old man with a long beard and a lot of wrinkles on his face. And his fungoid head was veeeeery large.  
Tommy didn't doubt for a moment that man was Toadberry in person. But, even if shocked, he managed to speak.  
"But... But he was huge!"  
Toadberry shook his head.  
"Who's your father?"  
"Hemm... Tobia the carpenter"  
"Hmm, so you must be little Tommy. How old are you, 8? 9?"  
"E-eight"  
"Perfect. Do you wanna hear a tale, Tommy?"  
The boy looked perplexed, then he slowly nodded.  
"Then, come to my house on the hill, later in the afternoon... But ask the permission to your dad first, eh..."

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Toadberry's house was an old - but still safe - wooden hunk, furnished with a lot of strange objects... Turtle shells, hammers, strange flowers, curved sword, many kind of mushrooms, carillons and a lot of books.  
Tommy looked at all those things with wonder, his immagination running toward fabulous lands he had never heard about before.  
"Please, Tommy, sit here next to me" Toadberry said, pointing a wooden chair right in front of his one. Tommy diligently obeied, and the old man began his tale.  
"I'm going to tell you the story of the two biggest heroes that ever lived in this kingdom, son.  
"Who were they? Pirates? Princes? Generals?"  
"Not at all" Toadberry smiled, "they were plumbers"


	2. The ancient acqueduct

******CHAPTER 1**

**"The ancient acqueduct"**

Voice: "C'mon, Luigi, wake up"

Luigi was sleeping in his warm, comfortable bed. It was a cold winter in New York, and there was nothing in the world that Luigi loved more than sleeping in a warm bed when it was winter.

Luigi (mumbling): "Please, let me sleep a little more, Mario..."

But it wasn't Mario who had called him, but Teresha, the stout housekeeper. She simply took away the sheet and made Luigi fall down from his bed.

Luigi (hitting the ground with his nose): "Ouch!"

Teresha: "Move away, I have to make the bed"

Luigi (touching his aching nose): "But I was sleeping!"

Teresah: "You don't pay me enough to be kind with you, man, so be glad that I keep coming everymorning to do your housework"

Teresha wasn't bad, on the contrary she was not paid at all for all she did for the brothers. But she was always there to help them and to be useful. Still, we could say she was a bit rude.

Teresha: "You loafer, your brother woke up twenty minutes ago and he's ready to go to work. Go and dress yourself, he's waiting for you downstairs."

She opened the window, and the sudden light woke Luigi up once for all. Mumbling and groaning, the moustached man stood up and went to the bathroom. After a while, he had put on his green dress and the blue workpants, and was ready to reach his brother. Luigi found him in the small dining room, sipping a cup of coffe and watching the Tv.

Luigi: "Mario, why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

The man named Mario turned his head and smiled. He was almost an exact copy of Luigi, but was a little smaller and... rounder, and his smile looked much more joyful than Luigi's.

Mario: "I've tried, but you didn't even hear me"

Luigi (looking at the Tv): "News?"

Mario (drinking his coffe): "Nothing important. Mrs Licksonn called me five minutes ago, and said that her sink's blocked again"

Luigi: "Didn't we repair it last week?"

Mario: "Yep"

Luigi: "I'm sure it was her husband again. Why can't he stop throwing food in the bog?"

Mario (taking his red hat from the coat): "I'm certain he's happy like that"

In two minutes, they both were in their van, and in ten minutes, they arrived at Mrs Licksonn's house.

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It was night when they finally headed back home (which was in Brooklyn) after their usual work round. Luigi was looking absent mindely out of the van's window, when he noticed a shadow moving behind a corner of the street.

Luigi (pointing toward the corner): "Mario, have you seen that?"

Without saying a word Mario (who was driving the van) made an U-turn and headed toward that corner, squealing. The front lights of the van suddenly showed what was goin'on: a bunch of men with a white mask were hitting with sticks and chains a black boy, who was crouched on the ground, sobbing.

Mario got off the car.

Luigi: "M-Mario, what are you doing? They're too many!"

In fact, the masked men were about ten. One of them noticed the plumber dressed in red, and looked at him with a menacing stare.

Man #1: "Hey, what do you want? Go away!"

Mario didn't say a thing, instead he did an incredible jump, landing between them and the black boy.

Man #1: "What the..."

The man couldn't end his sentence, as a very angry Mario jumped on his face, stunning him.

Mario (snorting): "Go away"

The men looked at him, dumbfounded. Then, Luigi ran in front of Mario.

Luigi: "C'mon guys, can't we settle this in peace?"

Man #2: "Shut up, you smear!"

The other man tried to punch Luigi, but he quickly jumped right behind him. Not even the black boy could believe his eyes. They remained there, staring at each other, until one of the masked man noticed the insignia on the brother's van.

Man #3 (shocked): "Oh my... Look... These are the Super Mario brothers!"

Dismayed, the others didn't wait for a second and ran away, leaving their "weapons" and the stunned "friend" behind. Luigi took a sigh of relief.

Luigi: "Phew!"

Mario (laughing): "Hey, Luigi, we're famous!"

Luigi (snorting): "Thanks to your crazy head! Didn't you notice they outnumbered us?"

Mario: "I noticed they were hurting a boy"

Luigi: "Couldn't we just call the police, like everyone does?"

Boy (interrupting them): "Are you really the Super Mario brothers?"

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Inside the car, the little boy couldn't stop asking questions to his heroes.

Boy: "Is it true you are plumbers by day and heroes by night?"

Mario(laughing): "Not at all, we are full-time plumbers! Infact, tell your mom we are the best plumbers of all New York!"

Luigi: "And you can find us even in the rush hour"

Boy: "What are your weapons?"

Mario: "Plungers and wrenches!"

Boy: "Is it true you already saved the lifes of other 10 persons during last month? I read it on the newspaper"

Mario: "You have not to believe to everything you read on the newspaper..."

Luigi: "It was 6"

Boy: "How can you jump like you do?"

Silence fell in the van. Luigi looked outside, on the moving street. Mario simply stared forward. After a while, the older brother spoke first.

Mario: "Actually, we don't know"

The boy looked at him silently, afraid that he said something wrong... even if he didn't know why.

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Finally they reached the boy's house. They left him on the door, and after the usuals "by" and "see you", they went away. The boy remained there and shook his hand until they disappeared from sight.

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Mr Roger knocked on the door and waited for an answer, but it never came.

Roger (knocking again): "Mayor, may I enter?"

Again, no response. Daringly, he opened the door and peeped inside. He saw the mayor, an old fat man with clever blue eyes, absorbed by a map on his desk, his thoughts running far away.

Roger: "Mayor...?"

The mayor suddenly woke up, and noticed his visitor.

Mayor: "Oh, mister Roger... Please, come in..."

Roger: "If you allow me to ask, are you still worried about the ancient acqueduct?"

Mayor: "You can ask anything you want, and I'm afraid you're right. This whole affair is slipping out of my hand"

Roger: "You mentioned that earlier but... why are you so worried about that?"

Mayor (sighing): "Do you know, Mr Roger, why the ancient acqueduc is so important to our city?"

Roger: "Because... It's an important water source, right?"

Mayor: "It's a FONDAMENTAL water source. Moreover, it's very famous because the aqueduct existed long before Colombo discovered America. When white people arrived, it was already there. It's our underground monument"

Roger: "And so? What happened to it?"

Mayor: "The attaches employed in its maintenance are disappearing one after the other. The survivors talk about monsters coming out of pipes..."

Roger: "That's ridiculous... The Police?"

Mayor: "I don't wanna call the police! If this becomes common knowledge, my re-election is gonna be in trouble!"

Roger: "Hmmm... do you think the problem is the piping system?"

Mayor: "Don't know. Why?"

Roger took a newspaper from a table and showed it to the Mayor, who read the first page.

Mayor (reading): " _"Two heroic plumbers save a boy from ten aggressors"... _Who are they?Roger: "Two plumbers who live in Brooklyn. They're also known as Super Mario Brothers"

Mayor: "What are their name?"

Roger: "Mario and Luigi Mario, Mayor"

Mayor: "Is that a pun?"

Roger: "I'm afraid it is not"

Mayor: "How could these super plumbers help me?"

Roger: "That's my plan: you tell everybody about the acqueduct. Then, as the valuable mayor you are, you call these public "heroes" to settle the matter. You call a public meeting in the main plaza, announce the arriving of the bros, they enter in the underground acqueduct, and when they'll come out saying that there's trouble nomore, everyone will applaude your decision to employ them. And everyone will be happy"

Mayor: "But what if they fail?"

Roger: "They can't, because I'm sure there's no monster inside the pipes of the acqueduct. Come on, be reasonable! It can't be!"

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Mario and Luigi were having a break in a little italian bar ("By Tommaso's") in Brooklyn. It was a cold afternoon, and the sky menaced to rain in a moment.

Mario (eating a toast): "So, what's left in our cash?"

Luigi (drinking a coke): "Three bucks"

Mario (worried): "Can we pay the toast I'm eating?"

Luigi: "Maybe, but we should take my coke on credit"

Mario: "I'd prefer not to ask another favour to Tommaso... Give your coke back"

Luigi: "My coke it's almost finished! Give your toast back!"

Mario (sad): "But it tastes good..."

Voice: "I couldn't help but hear that you have cash problems, ain't you?"

Mario and Luigi turned their head, and they saw a distinguished young man wearing black glasses.

Mario: "May we help you?"

Roger: "I really think you can... If you're Super Mario Brothers"

Mario: "Someone calls us like that. And you are...?"

Roger: "Excuse my bad manners, I totally forgot introducing myself! I'm Roger. I work for New York's Mayor. I'm here in his place to employ you"

Luigi: "Problems with the bathroom?"

Mario (reproaching): "Luigi!"

Roger: "Oh, please, don't worry about etiquette... Your brother is almost right indeed"

Mario (talking to Roger): "We'll be glad to make ourself useful"

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Luigi: "Please, explain me again how in the world we ended down here!"

The two brothers where climbing down a rope in a dark, swet vertical tunnel.

Mario: "They're paying us dearly, and they organised a great meeting for us in the main plaza, that's why. We have money plus advertising. Mamma mia, Luigi, what are you complaining about?"

Luigi: "Maybe you missed the time when they talked about monsters!"

Mario: "My, it's only an underground acqueduct! We'll find some rats at most"

Luigi (scared): "Rats?"

Mario: "Oh come on! If you see one, just jump"

Luigi: "The problem is, you're too easy going, Mario! Peolpe disappeared, down here!"

Mario: "Stay quiet, I can see a light at the end of the tunnel"

Luigi: "Did anyone ever tell you that seeing a light at the end of a tunnel is a bad thing?"

Mario (perplexed): "Why should it be a bad thing?"

Luigi: "God please help us. Aiutaci"

They finally reached the ground. From there, they could see three ways departing.

Mario: "Now where?"

Luigi: "What about... up again?"

Mario: "Let me check the map"

Luigi: "Please, let's find that hole in the pipe and leave subitissimo"

Mario: "Ok, we should go over there, that is toward the light"

Luigi: "Toward the light... sigh..."

They walked for a long time in the shafts, finding nothing. Until Luigi heard a strange noise.

Luigi (freezing): "Did you hear that?"

Mario: "What?"

Luigi: "That noise!"

Mario: "All I hear is the trembling of your legs"

Luigi: "It sounded like a voice"

Mario: "Maybe it was echo"

Then again that same noise resounded in the tunnel.

Mario: "You were right. I can hear it too, now"

Luigi: "It was like many voices speaking..."

Mario: "Maybe we found the missing plumbers! Come!"

Mario ran toward the noise in another shaft, leaving a terrified Luigi behind.

Luigi: "Mario, wait!"

But Mario had already disappeared in the shadow.

Luigi: "Agh, a reckless, that's what he is! Maaaaaario!"

Luigi ran after his brother, but he couldn't reach him for about a ten minutes. Then, suddenly Mario appeared. He was running... toward Luigi! And he looked scared.

Mario (yelling): "Run run RUUUN!"

At first, Luigi didn't understand what was going on, and he frozed while Mario ran past him, as fast as he could. Then he heared a noise of steps. Running steps. Many running steps.

And then he finally saw them.

The were ten, no, twenty, maybe thirty strange animals. Some of them looked like brown mushrooms with feet and eyes, others looked like turtles with duck-like head, and others like little brown moles. They looked aggressive.

Brown Mushroom: "Take 'em! Don't let them escape!"

Luigi: "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Luigi quickly ran away, reaching Mario after a few seconds.

Mario (running): "Did you see them?"

Luigi (running): "MONSTERS! THEY WERE RIGHT! Oh Mamma mia, oh Mamma mia, OH MAMMA MIAAAAAAAA"

Mario: "Stop yelling or you will lead them to us!"

Luigi: "What are we going to do, Mario? WHAT?"

Mario: "I don't know, I don't... Wait! The map! Maybe I can find a way to escape!"

Luigi: "Let's go back to where we came from!"

Mario (checking the map while running): "We can't, they're blocking the way! Here.. Turn right, now!"

They both dashed to the right, but the group of monsters was reaching them.

Luigi: "Where are we going?"

Mario: "There's a human-size pipe a bit further on"

Luigi: "Where does it lead?"

Mario (panting): "On the map there's no clue, but I think it will lead us outside"

Luigi: "Hurry, they're getting closer!"

Right when the monsters were going to catch them, the brothers reached the pipe and jumped in it. Then, they realized that pipe was a sort of bottomless hole.

They hurtled down screaming, but Mario managed to speak for the last time.

Mario: "I'm... sorry... Luigi..."

Luigi: "I've... always been proud... of being your brother... Thank you Mario"

#SBAM#

#silence#


	3. Cactus Desert

**Thank you** Raykura-Kura an stickmario645 for your short but very nice review!

**CHAPTER 2**

**"Cactus desert"**

Mario woke up with a strange flavour in the mouth. Was it blood? No, it was like... sand.

Mario (perplexed): "Sand?"

He opened his eyes, and saw a strange silouhette right in front of him.

Voice: "Are you fine, men?"  
Mario (seeing blurry): "Luigi?"  
Luigi: "I'm here Mario!"

Mario turned his head and saw Luigi. He was fine too. But were where they?  
He tried to focus his eyes, and finally regained his sight. And he realized they were in a sort of desert, at the slopes of a very high mountain... Maybe the sand softened the landing... But... A desert in a pipe? What was going on?

Luigi: "Aaaaaaaaaaagh!"

Luigi's yell mad him turn his head toward the stranger who had talked before. Mario didn't yell like his brother, but he bumped too. The stranger was a little man... with a big mushroom-like head.

Man: "Why the heck are you yelling? Are you fine?"  
Luigi (calming down): "Sorry man, your... your hat scared me"  
Man (perplexed): "Which hat?"  
Luigi: "That... That mushroom-like on your head!"  
Man: "Are you crazy? THAT's my head!"

Luigi stared at Mario with a look which clearly meant "This one is out of his mind".

Mario: "Sorry mister, where are we?"  
Man: "I'm Bic, and obviousely this is the Cactus Desert... Did the sun boil your brains?"  
Luigi (looking at the sun): "Aaaaaaaaaaaagh"  
Bic (to Mario): "Say, is your friend hysterical? He's going to give me an headache"  
Mario: "Please don't mind about him..."  
Luigi (scared): "Mario, look at the sun! It has eyes"  
Mario: "Luigi, are you..."

Mario looked at the sun and freezed. The sun really had eyes, and it was looking at them.

Mario: "What the..."  
Bic: "Of course it has eyes! Why shouldn't it?"

Mario and Luigi looked at each other.

Bic: "You two look a bit... bewildered. What happened to you?"  
Mario: "The... The last thing I remember it's us, falling down a pipe"  
Bic: "Ah, now I understand!"

The brothers both looked at Bic hopefully.

Bic: "Eh, that's what you risk by exploring the pipe without knowing the place... You see, the only pipe in this zone is at the top of this mountain, the Smiling Mount... you fell from the mountain, and hit your head. Well, don't worry... I came here only to find spring-water, but my group is waiting at the other side of the mountain. There's an healer with us, I'm sure she will heal your wounds. Come!"

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Bic escorted the bros to the other side of Smiling mount, where they found three wagons (very similar to those you usually see in a western movie, but with no horse) "parked" in the shade of the mountain. Six or five people were gathering in the same place a few blocks of wood, maybe to light a camp fire for the night.  
When they reached the wagon, a woman suddenly ran toward them. She had the same mushroom-like head of Bic.

Woman: "Bic, did you find water? Who are they"  
Bic: "They're injured. I found them on the other side... They fell from the Mountain... Call Priscilla, now"  
Woman (worried): "Sure"

Actually, despite the fact that they fell from the mountain, Mario and Luigi felt fine. They were only worried...

Luigi (whispering): "Look, Mario... Everyone here has a mushroom on his head"  
Mario (whispering): "I'm as confused as you... For now, let's meet this "healer"..."

Then, from a tent of a wagon, a girl came out. A normal girl. With no mushroom on the head. Instead she had long blonde hair and her eyes were of a deep green. Very beautyful, indeed. She wore a long white dress.

Girl: "Hi, I'm Priscilla... did you really fell from Smiling Mount?"  
Mario: "Actually, we don't know... Anyway, I'm Mario, and this is my brother Luigi"  
Luigi: "Hi there"  
Priscilla: "Mario and Luigi... strange names"  
Bic: "I found them unconscious... The green one had his head under the sand"  
Priscilla: "Well, come with me in my wagon... I will heal your wounds, and if you wish you could eat with us! Miss Maryon is already lighting the fire"  
Luigi (whispering): "May I ask you something? Why are their head like that?"  
Priscilla (perplexed): "Like "that"... how?"  
Luigi: "I mean... That mushroom on the head"  
Priscilla: "But that's normal! They're toadmen! Haven't you really ever seen any before?"

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The night came, and the party gathered around the fire. The bros have met everyone of that strange group: Maryon the cook (and Bic's wife), Priscilla the healer, Bic the writer, Penny (Bric and Maryon's little daughter), Tull the carpenter, and Tony (who said to be an "explorer"). Mario and Luigi thought they were nice, and they were even getting used to their strange heads.

Luigi: "Wow, every wound, even the smallest scartch, has disappeared! And you only touched us"  
Mario: "He's right! How could you do that?"  
Priscilla: "But... It's simple! With my magic!"  
Mario (rising an eyebrow): "Magic?"  
Tull: "You don't even know magic? But where are you from?"  
Mario: "We come from the big apple, New York"  
Penny: "It had to be a veeery big apple to contain both of you"  
Luigi: "No, "big apple" is just a nick... New York! The city! Never heard of it?"

They all shook their head in disagreement.

Tony: "I explored a lot of lands, but I never heard of a city called New York... In which kingdom is it?"  
Luigi: "Kingdom?"  
Mario: "No, it's in the USA..."

Everyone looked at them.

Mario: "... Never mind"  
Priscilla: "Ok, it's clear you're not of these lands... So what are you doing here?"  
Mario: "We were repairing an aqueduct..."  
Luigi: "Then we fell in a pipe, trying to escape from a group of monsters! And here we are"  
Maryon: "The only pipe in this zone is on the Smiling Mount"  
Bic: "That's what I told them"  
Mario: "So maybe if we can reach it, we can go back home"  
Tony: "Unfortunately the top of the Mount is not reachable without a cloud or a flying ship"  
Luigi: "Cloud? Flying Ship?"  
Tull: "We're heading to Toadville, the capital of the Mushroom kingdom... I'm sure that if you come with us, you will be able to find a transport there"  
Mario: "Thank you, I think we will accept your kind offer"  
Priscilla: "You said you met a group of monsters... How did they look like?"  
Mario: "Hmm, let's see..."  
Luigi: "They were horrible!"  
Mario: "Similar to brown mushrooms..."  
Luigi: "With eyes and feet!"  
Mario: "Then there were some turtles..."  
Luigi: "With duck head!"  
Bic (worried): "Koopas"  
Luigi: "Koo-what?"  
Tony: "Inhabitants of the Koopa Kingom"  
Maryon: "We had to leave our little village and ran away toward Toadville to escape from them"  
Priscilla: "You see, there is a war in progress between Mushroom and Koopa Kingdoms... Do you know what a "war" is?"  
Mario: "Unfortunately, we do"  
Luigi: "But why did this war start?"  
Tull: "Because King Bowser Koopa is a greedy warmonger, that's why!"  
Bic: "But someone think there might be a secret reason... Who knows what the trueth is"  
Maryon: "Well, enough with the chatting! Dinner is ready"  
Mario: "Yum! What's on the menu?"  
Maryon: "Mushroom, of course! Did you think this kingdom was so called for no reason?"  
Luigi: "I thought it was because of your hea... Ouch!"

Mario hit his brother on the stomach before he could offend their new friends, then they all started eating, joking and laughing.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

That night, Mario couldn't sleep at all. Luigi feel asleep as soon as he reached a bed in Maryon's wagon (but he could sleep anywhere in anytime), but the older brother couldn't. He had too many thought in his mind.  
So he remained near the fire while everyone else fell asleep. Well, not everyone.  
Priscilla soon reached him, and sat right next to him, silently.  
After a few minutes, she broke the silence.

Priscilla: "I believe you"  
Mario (surprised): "Uh?"  
Priscilla: "Everyone thinks you hit your heads too hard falling from the mountain, but I believe you come from another world"  
Mario: "Well, maybe not right another world, but..."  
Priscilla (looking at the sky): "My dad always told me that, with all the pipes existing in our world, included those we still don't know where they lead... There MUST be a land we have never seen before"  
Mario: "And where is he now?"  
Priscilla: "He's dead"  
Mario: "Oh mamma mia! I'm so sorry!"

#silence#

Mario: "But... you REALLY use pipes to move from a place to another"  
Priscilla: "Yes"  
Mario: "Odd. And it's a plumber who is saying that!"  
Priscilla: "You two are strange, too! For example, you're wearing the same clothes but with different colour"  
Mario: "That's our work uniform!"  
Priscilla: "And then, sometimes you speak in a strange language"  
Mario: "Oh that's italian. Our dad was Italian... Never mind, you can't understand"  
Priscilla (putting a thinger on her lips): "Ssst"  
Mario: "What?"  
Priscilla: "Did you hear that?"  
Mario:"What?"

They both remained silent, until they could hear a strange mumbling... Then Tull came running over them with a bow in his hands.

Tull: "KOOOOOOOOOPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Suddenly the place filled with monsters.

Priscilla (alarmed): "They found us"  
Tull (to Mario and Priscilla): "Run! Run behind the wagon! RUN!"

Mario and the girl obeied and ran away, while Tull tried to stop the koopas with his arrows.

Maryon: (popping out from her wagon with Luigi): "What happened?"  
Priscilla: "Koopas!"  
Luigi (scared): "Eeeeeh?"  
Maryon: "I'm going to hit them with my frying pan this time"  
Mario: "But what do they want? May we help?"  
Priscilla (speaking very quickly): "They want food... or only blood. There's no General with them, so they might be wild Koopa! And you can help if you can hit them on their head with something! The head is their weak point"  
Mario: "The head, uh?"  
Tull: "AAAAAAAAAAAAah!"

Tull had been defeated, and a brown mushroom was going to attack him. In a second Mario dashed toward him.

Luigi and Priscilla: "MARIO"  
Luigi: "That crazy head... Sigh I know I will regret this, but..."

Luigi soon ran to help his brother, although Priscilla's fear.  
In the meanwhile Mario jumped.

Mario: "HERE WE GOOOOOOOOO!"

He landed right on the head of the koopa after an amazing jump, squashing it.  
Tull looked at him, disbelieving... Priscilla and Maryon were shocked too.  
Then Luigi arrived.

Luigi: "Mario, Tull! Are you all right"  
Tull: "Ye-Yes"  
Mario: "Luigi, jump on their head! They're weak! Think at them as they were racist thugs"  
Luigi: "That won't be much of help!"

Right when Bic, Tony and Penny reached Priscilla and Maryon, the bros began to attack!

Mario (hitting another koopa): "Die, you monster"  
Luigi (hitting a turtle-duck): "God please guide my feet!"

Jump after jump, the bros were exterminating the enemies. Not even the koopa could realize what was happening.

Luigi: "Hey Mario, look! If you hit the turtles, you can use their shield as a weapon! See!"

Luigi jumped on a turle and then threw the shield hitting five brown mushrooms.

Mario: "A-ah ,Bravissimo!

Bic (watching the scene): "How... How can they jump like that?"  
Tony: "I... I don't know... They jump as they were yoshies..."

Brown mushroom: "Who are these devils?"  
Turle: "Who knows!"  
Brown mushroom #2: "Bowser doesn't pay me enough for this!"  
Mole: "Let's run away!"

Finally, the koopas ran away, while the bros where jumping for joy.

Luigi: "We did it! WE DID IT"  
Mario: "Ahahaha! Run! RUN! And don't come back!"

Bic: "They're... They're..."  
Tony: "Come on old man, you're a writer but you can't come up with a word to describe them?"  
Priscilla: "I have that word"

Everyone looked at Priscilla, except Mario and Luigi who were still dancing of joy.

Priscilla: "They're Super!"


	4. First Clash!

Ok, here I am. It has been a long time since the last chapter I posted.. But, well, I felt like writing a new one, and here it is.

Thank to Univex for the review.

**CHAPTER 3**

**"First clash"**

In a dark room far away from our heroes, a very scared brown mushroom is talking with a strange silouhette, hidden in the shadow.

Silouhette: "You failed"

Mushroom: "But, sir... It wasn't as easy as you told us..."

Silouhette: "SILENCE! They were only six, and none of them was a warrior, while you were twenty trained koopas! You had only to take the girl!"

Mushroom: "But... sir... there were two formidable warriors with them!"

Silouhette: "WHAT??"

Mushroom: "Yes, sir. Two moustached men who could jump like yoshes!"

Even if covered in the dark, the silouhette clearly turned pale.

Silouhette: "This... This can't be..."

The brown mushroom patiently waited for his misterious leader to draw his conclusions. Then, the silouhette came out of the shadow, revealing himself as a sort of small turtle with glasses and a long blue dress...

Turle: "You know his evilness King Bowser doesn't tolerate the failure, ain't you?"

Mushroom (scared): "No... Please... I can remedy... give me more kopaas... This time I'll win! Please...

Turtle: "Hammer Bros, take him and his group out of my sight..."

Voice: "Yes, sir"

Suddenly two big turtles with an helmet on the head appeared and took the yelling mushroom away.

Voice: "Umpf, Sir Kamek... You're too rude"

Kamek, that is the turlte in blue, turned his head to see a big turtle with spike on his shell and crazy, blu hair.

Kamek: "... Lord Ludwig..."

Ludwig: "Of course, you couldn't demand more to a simple, stupid goomba..."

Kamek: "I'm afraid I lost my self-control, my lord... But the situation is worse than I thought... I have to inform your father, King Bowser"

Ludwig: "There's no need to disturb dad for such a ..."

Kamek: "YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

Although Ludwig Von Koopa was twice bigger than Kamek, he looked a bit scared by the smaller turtle's fury.

Kamek: "THIS has the maximum priority! I MUST go to inform King Bowser... But I need someone to take care of that group of insolent brats... AND take the girl"

Ludwig: "Please, let me take care of those "formidable warriors"... They'll be no match to me"

Kamek: "Don't underestimate them"

Ludwig: "What do you mean? I'm the oldest son of great Bowser Koopa!"

Kamek: "Just... take the hammer bros with you..."

Ludwig: "I'll do as you suggest"

Kamek (nodding): "Thank you"

Thenk Kamek slowly left the room.

Ludwig (to himself): "Why was he that scared?"

Ludwig (out loud): "Hammer Bros! Come here!"

The two big turtles appeared again.

Hammer Bros: "Yes, sir!"

Ludwig: "We're moving. We have a mission to accomplish!"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

In the meanwhile, three wagons that we know very well were moving in the Cactus desert.

Mario, Luigi and Priscilla were on the wagon which leaded the row. Maryon, Bic and Penny were on the secon wagon, while Tony and Tull were on the last one.

Luigi (perplexed): "I can't get it"

Priscilla: "What?"

Luigi: "How can this wagon move without horses?"

Priscilla: "Simple! It's a magic wagon!"

Mario: "Simple! Luigi, stop asking useless questions!"

Luigi: "You want me to believe you knew it?"

Mario: "Of course! Can't you feel the magic?"

Luigi: "Are you joking or what?"

Priscilla (laughing): "Ahah, you're funny..."

Mario: "Did you hear that? I'm funny!"

Luigi: "She was talking about the both of us!"

Priscilla: "Don't you have magic wagons in the great apple?"

Luigi: "Big apple!"

Mario: "No, we use cars"

Priscilla: "Cars?"

Mario: "Euh... How can we explain that..."

Luigi: "A car it's like a magic wagon without magic"

Mario: "I could explain it like that, too!"

Priscilla: "So you need horses?"

Luigi: "Eh no..."

Mario: "Cars need fuel"

Priscilla: "What's a fuel?"

Mario: "Let's talk about something else. Why does the sun have eyes in this world?"

Priscilla: "What a question! To see, why else?"

Luigi (giggling): "THAT was a useless question!"

Mario: "I'll never understand this world"

Finally, the group reached the end of the desert, and found a little village in the middle of a fresh oasi with grass and palm-trees.

Priscilla (to Maryon): "What about spending the night here?"

Maryon: "Sounds like a good idea"

The wagons moved inside the village and stopped next to an Inn. Inside the Innkeeper, a little toadman with very refined moustache, welcame the party with joy.

Innkeeper: "Welcome to my inn! I'm Brum!"

Priscilla: "Good evening, Mr Brum... We'd need a few rooms..."

Brum (looking at Priscilla's unpretentious dress) : "Sure, sure, but... do you have coins?"

Mario and Luigi shrugged their shoulders.

Priscilla: "We do"

Priscilla gave Brum a pocket with a few coins inside.

Brum (checking the pocket): "Excuse my manners, but you know, recently, with the war and all that stuff..."

Priscilla (smiling): "We see"

Brum: "Please, follow me in your rooms..."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

After the usual "good night", everyone went in his room. Mario and Luigi shared the same room, of course. They both went to bed.

Mario (in his bed): "Hey Luigi..."

Luigi (half-sleeping): "Uh...?"

Mario: "She's cute, eh?"

Luigi: "...Who?"

Mario: "Maryon!"

Luigi (now completely awake): "Are you serious?"

Mario (rolling his eyes): "Priscilla! Priscilla, who else?"

Luigi (relaxing): "Ah... well, yes"

Mario: "She's not cute, she's wonderful!"

Luigi: "Yes..."

Mario: "She's not wonderful, she's..."

Luigi: "OK,OK! Why don't you tell her?"

Mario: "Do you think I should?"

Luigi: "Why not?"

Mario: "Because this is not our world... Very soon we'll be back to New York"

Luigi: "How can you be so optimist? But maybe you're right..."

Mario: "Yeah... but she's really cute anyway"

Luigi: "Yep"

Mario: "She's not cute, she's..."

Luigi: "MARIO, SLEEP!"

Mario: "Ok, ok... good night"

Luigi: " 'night..."

#silence#

Luigi: "Mario...?"

Mario: "ZzzzZzzzzz..."

Luigi: "MARIO!"

Mario (awakening): "Eh? Uh?"

Luigi: "Do you really think we'll be back to New York, one day?"

Mario (thinking): "... I think while there's life, there's hope. Speranza, Luigi"

Luigi: "I guess you're right"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVvVVV

Nothing troubled that beautyfull night... at the beginning. But after a few hours, when everyone in the Inn was sleeping, then the trouble came.

Mario and Luigi were awaken by a sudden girlish scream in the night, and they quickly stood up and ran out of the room. Fortunately, they had fall asleep still wearing their work uniforms.

Mario leaded his younger brother upstairs, where - he thought - the scream had come from.

They found the door of a room wide opened, and went in. There they found a scared Maryon in her pink pajama.

Mario: "Maryon, what happened?

Maryon (in panic): "Oh my... Oh my... they kidnapped her..."

Mario: "Who?"

Maryon: "Pr.. Priscilla..."

Mario thought that was enough, and ran away, up the stairs to the top of the building, while Luigi remained with Maryon, holding her hand and trying to put some sense back in her mind.

Then Mario reached the last floor, and passed through a window that he had found opened. He went on the roof, where he saw Priscilla, unconscious in the arms of a...

Mario: "A koopa?"

The big turtled turned his head, and his blue hair moved in the wind like possessed.

Mario couldn't help but feel a bit scared, and it happened rarely in his life.

Koppa: "Well well, if you're not a mustached man..."

Mario looked to the right, then to the left, then at the Koopa again.

Mario: "Ya talkin to me? I'm Mario!"

The turtle winced, disgusted.

Koopa: "I see your vocabulary is at an elementary level, therefore I'd finish this conversation now"

The koopa jumped from the roof to the ground before that Mario could move a thinger, but then the plumber jumped after him.

They both landed at the same time on the soft grass, but Mario was faster and stepped quickly in front of the kidnapper.

Mario: "Where do ya think you're going?"

The koopa snorted, then jumped in the air, and landed again on the ground with all his weight. The clash made Mario flying away and hitting a wall. The turtle smiled.

Koopa: "I knew it. You're not such a formidable warrior as they said. You couldn't even avoid my Big Clash. I suggest you to stay where you are 'till I'll be gone and then to move to another kingdom, 'cause this one belongs to King Boswer and his family"

Mario (standing up): "Stop chatting, and confront with me!"

Koopa: "You want me, great Lord Ludwing Von Koopa, to confront with... you? You're no match for me. But if you want to play, I guess you could have fun with my soldiers"

From nowhere, a lot of turtles and brown mushrooms appeared. A bunch of them were flying because, yes, they were turtles with a duck-like face.. and wings. And moreover, there were two big turtles with an helmet. Four flying koopas took Lord Ludwing from the shell, and flied away carrying him with them.

Ludwig (right before leaving): "Hammer Bros, take him"

Luigi was still with Maryon, when Bic and Penny arrived. The old toadman decided to stay with his wife, so Luigi left in order to reach Mario.

He esitated a bit, but eventually went up on the roof. Jumping down from there was just too much, so when he saw Mario and the mysterious kidnapper on the ground, he just discended down the stairs to the first floor. He reached the hall and ignored the confused inner, then ran outside.

He found Mario on the ground, wounded, and two big turtles with helmets and hammers in front of him. One of them moved to hit Mario with the hammer, but right then Luigi worked over: he jumped right on the head of the koopa.

Mario: "Wait, it's useless!"

Too late for Luigi: the helmet protected his opponent, who hit him in the stomach with a strong fist and sent him away striking his head with the hammer. That was enough for Luigi, who fell next to Mario and lost his senses. Mario growld, but stood up with his remaining force between the hammer bros and his brother.

Hammer bro #1 (laughing): "And you wanted to fight Lord Ludwing? You're no match for us neither. I'm almost sorry we have to eliminate you!"

The goombas and koopas all around him laughed. Mario was desperating. He had tried to hit the hammer bros on their stomach, but their shell made them invulnerable, and their heads, their weakpoints, were protected by their helmets, and no kick could take them away - he had tried it, too.

Moreover the big koopa named Ludwing had gone by now, who knows where, and Priscilla after him.

Then Tull arrived, grabbing an axe with his right hand. He was somehow funny, so tiny with that big weapon in the hand.

Tull: "Step back, Hammer Bros! You took what you wanted!"

Hammer Bro #2: "That's a dumb request, sir Tull"

Mario (disbelieving): "Do you know them? Sir Tull?"

Tull (to Mario): "I'll explain everything later..."

Hammer Bro #1 (menacing): "We have been ordered to take this one away. You know we can't disobey. And if you try to stop us..."

Tull moved away, and Mario looked at him, perplexed.

Tull: "I'm sorry, Mario. That's how far I can go. They would kill the entire village if I'd interfere..."

Mario nodded silently. Then, he smiled.

Tull (in his mind): "_What the.. Is he smiling? Doesn't he understand the gravity of the situation? Or did he resign himself to death?"_

Mario: "Well, then. Bring it on!"

Mario quickly jumped on a koopa. A turtle in underpants popped out of its shell, and so Mario could throw it toward the Hammer Bros. The shell slided under their feet, and made the both of them lose their balance.

Mario took advantage of that moment of distraction, raised his brother on his shoulder, and ran away.

Hammer Bro #1: "They're fleeing!"

Hammer Bro #2: "Koopas, catch'em!"

Without saying a word, all the koopas and goombas ran after the two plumbers, while their superiors were still lieing on the ground.

Tull looked at the plumber as he ran in the wood of palms.

Tull (in his mind): "That man... is incredible. Run, run as fast as you can Mario! Hope we'll meet again.."

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Mario was running in panic, with no idea about "where" he was going. He had been running for about 15 minutes, and it seemed that their pursuers had lost 'em. Moreover Luigi was getting heavier and heavier on his shoulder, therefore the older bro stopped his race and hided behind a palm-tree, where he could rest.

Luigi was still unconscious.

Mario (slapping his brother): "Luigi! Luigi!"

Having no response from his lil' brother, Mario made him lie on the ground, and sat behind the tree. He was burning with anger for what had just happened; he was worried for Priscilla, and wanted to save her, but didn't know how.

Moreover, the thought of being in a new, stranger world, still disturbed him. Everything was so messed up.

He couldn't stay there and wait. He couldn't...

Suddenly, that noise. He had learnt to recognize it: koopas were arriving.

With the last strenght he had, Mario took again Luigi on his shoulder, and ran. Where, he didn't know, but he needed to put as much space as he could between them and those monsters. He could defeat the turtles, or the brown mushrooms, but those Hammer Bros were beyond his power.

Then, the miracle happened: Mario found a green, human-size pipe, like the one he found in the acqueduct, popping out from the grass.

Mario: "Does this things appear anytime I'm in trouble?"

With no second thought, he jumped in it.

Mario (in his mind): "Please, lead me to a safe place, buddy!"

He hurtled down, holding thight his brother.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

_Well, that's the end of the third chapter. Hope you liked it. I'm considering about finishing this story, but only if I'll recieve some good reviews. Otherwise, it'd be clear that you didn't like it, and there would be no point in writing another chapter._

_So, hmm, see yah?_


	5. A small house in a valley

_Hey Nutcase, thank you for your record-time review! I'm sorry about the grammar, I'm Italian and I try to do my best! I'm very sorry!_

_I'm glad you can enjoy my story anyway.._

_Well, here's a new chapter. Hope you like it._

_I'm feeling like this story is getting better, chapter after chapter.. But I could be wrong!_

**CHAPTER 4**

**"A small house in a valley"**

Luigi woke up with the rassuring chirping of birds in the ears. It was a wonderful morning, with a blue sky and a warm sun that peeped in from a window.

When he regained full control of his mind, he realized he was in a bed, in a small room with wooden walls with no decoration.

He was alone.

Silently, he got up. Right then, the door opened, and Mario and a little toadman appeared.

Luigi: "Mario!"

The brothers huged each other.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

Minutes later, the three of them were having lunch on a table with those few things that the toadman had in his fridge: some meat, milk and a strange green sauce, wich tasted similar to ketchup.

Luigi: "So.. your name is Toad?"

Toad: "Exactly"

Mario (explaining to Luigi): "When we ran away from the koopas, I found a pipe which led us in the garden of this house. Luckly, Toad offered to heal you with a special potion he had"

Toad: "A medicine made with herbs and mushrooms"

Luigi: "Did you prepare it by yourself? How old are you?"

Toad: "I'm twelve.. But it doesn't matter now. I have a most important question for you"

Mario and Luigi: "Uh?"

Toad: "You said you came out of a pipe... I saw you were injured, and offered to help you without asking you anything else.. but... As much as I know, there's no pipe here within a radius of twenty kilometers"

Mario: "What?? No way, the pipe was in your garden, look.."

Mario dashed to the window and looked outside. The garden of the house was bounded by a wooden fence, and beyond it, only grass as far as his eyes could see. No pipe at all.

Mario (confused): "That's.. That's impossible... I was too tired to walk for twenty kilometeres..."

Toad: "Why should I believe you? What if you are Bowser's fiends?"

Mario (coming back to the table): "Then, why did you help us?"

Toad (shyly): "My dad told me to always help people, even strangers, 'cause that's the mission of an healer.."

Luigi: "Your dad? Where is he? What about your mom?"

Toad: "I don't want to talk about it"

Without saying anything else, Toad ran into another room, and closed the door behind him.

Luigi: "Did I say something wrong?"

Mario: "Mamma mia... everything is getting more confusing time after time..."

The bros finished their lunch, then went outside and sat on the grass. After a short time of silence, Mario spoke.

Mario: "Have you noticed?"

Luigi: "What?"

Mario: "There's no adult here. Only the kid"

Silence again.

Luigi: "What are we gonna do now?"

Mario: "Don't know"

Luigi: "Maybe.. Maybe we should head toward Toadville.. and then find a way back home, in our world.."

Mario (standing up): "No"

Luigi: "Then what?"

Mario: "I made up my mind. We'll go and save Priscilla"

Luigi: "What the.. HOW?"

Mario: "Don't you want her to be safe?"

Luigi: "Well.. Of course, but what could we do? You saw those koopa-dudes! They're too strong!"

Mario: "We'll go and save her"

Luigi: "YOU'RE NOT EVEN LISTENING TO ME!"

Toad: "So, you're truely not with Bowser.."

Toad was at the door, not too far from the bros.

Mario: "Hey there!"

Luigi: "Are you fine?"

Toad sighed.

Toad: "Yes, I'm sorry for earlier.. It's just.."

Mario: "No prob, Toad. One last favour, and we'll leave"

Toad: "A... favour?"

Mario: "Yep. We have to go to a village near... cactus desert?"

Luigi (sighing): "Man.."

Mario: "... And, since we're not from this land, could you please tell us in which direction should we go?"

Toad smiled proudly.

Toad: "A-ah! You came to the right place! My dad is a well-known traveler and cartographer, and my house is fill with his maps, totally reliable! Right now he is traveling in a far land, to make a new map!"

Mario (surprised): "Really? And why did he left you here?"

Toad (darkening): "He left me with my mom.. but then.. Koopas came, and kidnapped her.. but I managed to escape, and lived here alone since then"

Mario (angry): "Again those koopas!"

Luigi: "Why do they kidnap women? Are they pervert?"

Toad: "Pervert?"

Mario (slapping Luigi): "Forget it! Now, could we please see those maps?"

Toad: "Of course!"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

The flying Koopa had searched the whole area around the village of toadmen, looking for the plumbers. But there was no track of them.

On the other hand, if he came back to the hammer bros empty-handed, they would have squashed him like a mushroom fritter.

That's when he decided not to come back, but to run away.

Koopa (in his mind): "I'm tired of this life.. That's it, I quit the army"

So he flied away, as fast as he could.

Then, after about half an hour, he fliedover a little house in a small valley. He looked down, touched by that wonderful view. And he saw the plumbers, with a little toadman, in the garden of an house!

He couldn't believe at his own eyes! He found them! .. But how the hell did they manage to go as far as this by feet?

Well, who cared, he found 'em!

He could tell his superiors, and maybe get a promotion!

Quickly and silently, he landed in a near wood, hided between the trees, then he picked a little shell-like phone out of his own shell, and clicked a button.

Koopa: "Sir? Flying Koopa Koopser, number eleven, second troup. I found'em!"

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

In the little house, Toad led the Mario bros in a little room. In there, the walls and the tables were completely covered with maps, tidly scattered all around.

Mario: "woah!"

Toad: "What did I say?"

Luigi: "Wow! Did your father draw all of them?"

Toad: "Most of them. I've been drawning a few maps these years, too"

Mario: "Are you serious? So young, you're both a medical AND a cartographer?"

Luigi (analysing a map): "What the.. This is a total mess! It's totally indecipherable!"

Toad: "hemm, gotta practice.."

Mario: "..."

Toad: "A-anyway, my dad had a map of this continet. Somewhere..."

Toad went looking for the map.

Toad (searching): "It must be... here... no... HERE IT IS!"

Toad took a rolled piece of paper, and unfolded it on the table. Mario and Luigi got closer.

Toad: "So... We are here.. and the cactus desert is here! Not too far, in two days of walking you'll get there"

Luigi: "TWO DAYS..?"

Mario: "Actually, we should go to a village at the borders of the desert"

Toad: "Which one?"

Mario: "Uh.. don't remember its name.."

Toad: "What?"

Mario: "WAIT! I have a clue!"

Toad and Luigi came closer to him, curious.

Mario: "In the village there was an Inn!"

Toad and Luigi: "WHAT KIND OF CLUE WOULD THAT BE?"

Right then, the earth trembled.

Luigi: "What the.."

With a sudden noise, an hammer crashed a wall from outside the house.

Toad: "AH!"

Mario: "Let's get out of here!"

Toad: "No! The maps!"

Mario grabbed Luigi and Toad, and jumped out of the door. Right a second later, the room collapsed on itself.

Mario quickly stood up, and looked outside through the crashed wall.

Hammer Bro #1: "Hallo!"

Hammer Bro #2: "We've been searching for you!"

Luigi (noticing them): "AAAH!"

Mario: "You!"

The Hammer Bros had arrived, followed by their little army of koopas and goombas.

Toad (sobbing): "The... the maps.. All dad's work.."

_Flash-back_

_Many nights ago, in that same small house in the valley, a younger Toad was looking at his father, bent on the table, drawing a map at the light of a candle._

_Toad (amazed): "You're great!"_

_Dad: "Ah, ah! No, Toad, I'm just a drawer! This world we live in, it's really amazing! Can you see it? Everything is perfect, nothign is wrong"_

_Toad looked carefully at the map._

_Toad (sorry): "I don't see.."_

_Dad (smiling): "Look, Toad: this is our valley. Northwards, it is protected from the strongest winds by the mountains. A river originates from those same mountains, and crosses the country for kilometers, giving birth to woods to the east and to the west, then flowing in the sea southwards. Nature never creates anything in vain"_

_Toad: "You mean.. everything is like it should be?"_

_Dad (laughing): "Couldn't find better words!"_

_Toad's Dad, proudly, put his hand on his son's mushroom head._

_Dad: "You know, son, my dream is to draw the map of the whole world!"_

_Toad (happy): "You'll do it! And I'll help!"_

Back to reality.

Toad looked at the fragments of paper of the maps, whirling in the air.

His eyed filled with tears.

Toad (crying out loud): "All.. All our work.."

_Mario: "STOP CRYING!"_

Toad and Luigi looked at Mario with shocked faces. Mario was giving his back to both of them.

Mario: "Toad.. Crying is not a bad thing, but there's a right time and place for everything. Sometimes you gotta be strong"

Mario turned back to them.

Mario (grinning, his thump up): "Don't give'em the satisfaction of watching you crying! Don't worry, I'll kick their asses!"

Hammer Bro #1: "Ah! You.. kick us?"

Hammer Bro #2: "Don't count on it, kiddo, he's lying to you"

The koopas and goombas laughed heartily.

Luigi stood up with a menacing face, and went outside by Mario's side, face to face with the Hammer Bros.

Luigi: "This is too much. Toad, stay back!"

Mario (happy): "Luigi!"

Toad ran and hided behind a table turned on one of its side.

Luigi: "Nobody can make fun of my brother!"

Hammer Bros (laughing): "Ah, THAT'S funny! You're making things easier for us!"

Hammer Bro #1: "Take this! BOOMERANG ATTACK!"

The Koopa threw his hammer, which flied in the air with a spinning trajectory. Luigi jumped away, but Mario staied still.

Luigi: "Mario, dodge!"

The hammer got closer to the plumber. And then, he grabbed it in the air with his left hand.

Hammer Bro #1: "What..?"

Mario jumped very high in the air, aiming at the head of the Koopa who threw the hammer at him.

Hammer Bro #2: "Where do you think you're going? BOOMERANG!"

The other Koopa threw his hammer toward Mario, hitting him back.

Mario (still in the air): "Luigi!"

Before Mario touched the ground, Luigi quickly jumped in the trajectory of his falling brother. Mario did a roll in the air, and landed whith his feet on the soles of Luigi's shoes, using him as a launching pad to jump up again. This time, Mario hit the Koopa straight to his head with the hammer, crashing his elmet and knocking him out.

Hammer Bro#2: "Brother!!"

Toad (peeping from behind the table): "Wow!"

The other hammer, still in the air, turned back in the air to the remaining Koopa, with a boomerang effect.

Hammer Bro#2 (grabbing his hammer): "How dared you do this to my brother?"

Luigi: "Ah! THAT is funny!"

Hammer Bro #2 (snorting): "That's it! BOOMERANG!"

He threw the hammer.. but it passed over the Mario Bros.

Luigi (surprised): "Eh? He missed us?"

Mario: "No!"

He was aiming at Toad. And right then, Mario realized he was too far to do anything.

Mario (angry at the Koopa): "YOU COWARD"

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_End of chapter! Please Review/Flame!_


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